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WHERE IS
HARRISON? Harrison is in Westchester County in New York State, 30 miles northeast of Manhattan, close to Long Island Sound. Nearby municipalities are White Plains, Rye and Mamaroneck. The Connecticut border is about 5 miles away. Directions to Harrison: Click Here for a Mapquest Map of Harrison. WHAT TYPE OF GOVERNMENT DOES HARRISON HAVE? There are five members of the Town Board: the Mayor and four Town Board members. Supervisor/Mayor Joan Walsh is the full-time Chief Executive, and has her office in the Municipal Building. The Board members: Deputy Mayor/Supervisor Joseph Canella, Thomas Scapaticci, Fred Sciliano and Pat Vetere, are part-time. Mayor Walsh welcomes visitors to her office, visits many homes during the course of a year, and herself investigates many complaints. She also keeps in touch with residents by attending many block parties. Board members are also available to residents for comments and questions. Residents are cordially invited to attend the Board meetings to express their opinions on any topic. WHEN DOES THE TOWN BOARD MEET? The Town Board meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, except during June, July and August, when it meets on only the 2nd Thursday. The meetings are held each month in the Municipal Building in downtown Harrison. All meetings begin at 7:30 PM. Agendas for all meetings are available on this WEB SITE on the Friday before the meeting. If you wish to place an item on the Agenda, send it to Town Clerk Joseph Acocella during the week prior to any meeting. Minutes are posted as soon as completed. WHEN ARE TOWN BOARD MEETINGS SHOWN ON TV? The meetings of each month are shown daily. All meetings are taped, and shown daily on CATV Channel 75 at noon, 6 PM and 10 PM. WHERE IS THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING? The Municipal Building is located at 1 Heineman Place, in downtown Harrison, adjacent to the Metro North Harrison Railroad Station. WHAT ARE THE HOURS FOR THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING? In general, the Municipal Building is open from 9AM until 5 PM . During the summer, from Memorial Day until Labor Day, hours are from 9AM until 4 PM. WHAT HOURS ARE THE LIBRARIES OPEN? The downtown Library is open Mon & Wed: 9:30 AM - 9 PM Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat: 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM Sun. 1 PM - 5 PM Summer hours: In July and August, the Library closes at 12:30 PM on Saturdays. In June, July and August, the Library is closed all day on Sundays The West Harrison Library is open Mon & Wed 10 AM - 7 PM Tuesday, Thurs, Fri & Sat: 10 AM - 5 PM Summer hours: During July & August, the Library closes at 12:30 PM In June, July & August, the Library is closed all day on Sundays. The Purchase Library is open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat: 9:30Am - 5:30 PM Wednesdays: 9:30 AM - 8:30 PM Always closed on Sundays. If you have a valid library card from any Westchester County Library, then you can go to www.westchesterlibraries.org to learn what books or videos are in the Harrison libraries, if a particular one is on the shelf or out on loan, and when it is due to be returned. A great deal of other information is also available on this link. Access this link from your home computer or from the several computers available for use in the West Harrison and downtown libraries. This Library link also lists all activities and programs at the Libraries, including story hours and art shows, travel talks and chess tourneys. Or, see CATV Channel 53. HOW DO I GET TO MANHATTAN? Metro North has a railroad station in downtown Harrison, part of the New Haven Division. Trains start at 5:20 AM with the last train out of Grand Central at 1:30 AM. During rush hour, trains run frequently, with some trains starting in Harrison. During the day, trains into New York run at about ten before the hour, and about twenty after the hour. Trains from New York run about 10 after the hour, and twenty before the hour. The trip takes about 40 minutes. Metro North also has a railroad station in White Plains, and North White Plains, part of the Harlem Division. People living in the West Harrison area sometimes prefer to use those stations as there are express trains from both of them. There is one large non-resident parking lot near each station. Permit parking is not available for non-residents. For exact information, call 1-212-532-4900. or click on www.mta.nyc.ny.us. HOW DO I GET A COMMUTER PARKING PERMIT FOR THE HARRISON STATION? Commuter Parking Permits are available in the office of Town Clerk Joseph Acocella. Bring proof of residency - (current Con Ed bill), copies of your vehicle registration(s) - both listing your Harrison address, and the fee. Currently, the fee is $400 for the full year, prorated by the quarter as the year passes: $255 from April to December; $170 from July to December; $85 from October to December. Two cars may be listed on the permit, so that if one car is out of service, the other car can be used If space is available, occasional parking is available on a daily basis to residents for $3.00, so non-commuters can go into NYC for visits, shopping, the Opera, etc. WHEN IS GARBAGE COLLECTION ON MY STREET? Garbage is collected twice a week, either Monday & Thursday, or Tuesday & Friday. Recycling material is collected once a week. Click on the Public Works icon in the General Listing for the schedule for your street. WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR RECYCLING, AND WHEN IS RECYCLING COLLECTED ON MY STREET? Recycling buckets for newspapers and cardboard, and for bottles and cans, are available in the Public Works office in the Municipal Building. Collection is the second collection day for your street. Year-round, all grass clippings, leaves, and other organic matter must be put into large paper bags, or perhaps plastic garbage cans, for collection on Wednesdays. The bags are available at many hardware and grocery stores. Branches must be cut into 4' lengths, and tied. All material must be placed at the curb on Tuesday night. In September, October and November only , leaves can be piled at curbside for collection by truck. If you continue to bag the leaves from your trees, then the collection process will be completed more quickly and your street will look better. Click on the Public Works link for further details for all recycling. IS THERE A LOCAL COURT? What days/hours do the Judges hold court? Yes, there is a local Court. On Tuesday, Court is in session for traffic summonses and civil matters, from 9AM until all matters are resolved. On Fridays, Court is in session for criminal matters from 9AM until all matters are resolved. Night sessions of the Court are scheduled once a month. WHAT DO I NEED A BUILDING PERMIT FOR? A brief answer to that question is: new construction, additions, alterations or structural repairs to an existing house, and changes in use. Permits are also needed to cut down trees, to regrade or excavate your land, for large quantities of fill brought in, for retaining walls and fencing, for installation or renovations in the areas of electrical and plumbing, etc.. It is wise to always check with the Building Department before you start any improvements or demolition. I WANT TO PUT AN ADDITION ON MY HOUSE. WHAT DO I DO? Look at your survey to be sure you have enough room, with the right setbacks. Check your plans and layout with the Building Department before you sign any contracts. CAN I PUT A POOL OR TENNIS COURT IN MY YARD? A building permit is required for a pool or tennis court. Bring your plans to the Building Inspector for review of its construction, location, fencing, etc.. If it meets the regulations of the Zoning Code, a permit will be granted upon payment of a fee. The amount of the fee depends on the construction costs. Before a permit is granted for a tennis court, the application must go to the Zoning Board of Appeals for approval of the height and location of the fencing . WHEN DOES THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEET? The Board meets on the 1st Thursday of each month. Applications must be submitted to the Secretary of the Board at least 10 days before each meeting. A limited number of applications will be considered in any given month. HOW DO I GET A RESIDENT PERMIT FOR RECREATION PROGRAMS? WHAT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE? WHICH ONES ARE FREE AND WHICH ONES HAVE A FEE? Go to the Government Operations section of this website, and click on the Recreation heading for full details. HOW DO I REGISTER TO VOTE? Harrison is part of the Central Registration System of Westchester County. All records are maintained by the County Board of Elections. Call 995-5700 to check if you are registered. Registration forms are available from the County Election Board offices in White Plains, ( 995-5700) or from Town Clerk Joseph Acocella (670-3030). Call or come into the Town Clerk's office for registration forms, or for absentee ballot forms. Remember, you must be a citizen of the United States, over 18 years of age by the date of the election, and living at your address for 25 days prior to the election. Link: www.westchestergov.org/boe WHERE DO I VOTE: There are 19 polling places within the Town/Village of Harrison. When you register, the County Board of Elections will send you a card to confirm your registration, and at that time will tell you the location of your polling place. Or, call Town Clerk Joseph Acocella at 670-3030, for the location. The Town Clerk oversees the elections and polling places within the Town/Village, recruits the polling site Inspectors and Poll Clerks, and has an up-to-date copy of the voter registration list if you want to check if you are registered. WHEN IS THE NEXT ELECTION? Elections are held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November of each year. Presidential elections are held every four years, in even-numbered years. The President is elected for a 4-year term. All members of the federal House of Representatives are also elected at that time, for a 2-year term. Elections for governor are held every four years, in the even-numbered years when there are not Presidential elections. The Governor is elected for a 4-year term. All members of the federal House of Representatives are also elected at this time, again for 2-year terms. Federal U. S. Senators are elected in even-numbered years, for 6-year terms, so they run during either a Presidential or Gubernatorial election.. State elections are held in the odd-numbered years. State Senators are elected for 4-year terms, while members of the State Assembly are elected for 2-year terms. Local officials are also elected in the odd-numbered years. In Harrison, the Supervisor/Mayor and the Town/Village Clerk are elected for 2-year terms, and so run in every odd-numbered year. The members of the Town Board/Village Council are elected for 4-year terms, and thus run only in every other odd-numbered year. Their terms are staggered, so in each local election, two members of the Board run for election. The two Town Justices and the Receiver of Taxes have 4-year terms, and also run in odd-numbered years. HOW DO I GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE? If you are being married in New York State, you may obtain a license in the Town Clerk's office. The couple must come to the office together with original birth certificate or a certified copy and photo ID which most often is a driver's license or current passport. The Photo ID must have current address and signature. If either person has been divorced, a certified copy of the divorce decree must be presented. The couple completes a form, pays a $40.00 fee by cash, check or money order, and then the license is issued. There is a 24-hour waiting period for the ceremony, with the license being valid for 60 days. The Mayor, the Town Clerk, the Deputy Town Clerk and the two Judges, are all empowered to perform marriage ceremonies. HOW DO I GET A COPY OF MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE? If you were born in a house in Harrison, the Town Clerk will have a copy of your birth certificate in the Archives. You must prove your identity before a copy will be provided. The cost is $10.00. If you were born in the White Plains Hospital or St. Agnes Hospital, call the White Plains City Clerk. If you were born in United Hospital, call the Village Clerk in Port Chester. HOW DO I GET A COPY OF MY MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE? If you applied for your marriage license in Harrison, then you may get a copy of your marriage certificate from the Town Clerk. Ask yourself where you got the license, rather than in what Town you were married, as that is where your license is filed. If you can't remember, you can get a copy from the Department of Health in Albany. You must prove your identity before a certificate will be issued. The cost is $10.00. TELL ME ABOUT GETTING A DOG LICENSE? Every dog over 6 months of age must be licensed. Licenses are obtained from the Town Clerk, and are valid for one year, and must be renewed annually. The cost is $10 for a spayed or neutered dog, and $18 for a non-spayed or non-neutered dog. A valid rabies certificate from your vet must be presented. HOW DO I GET A HUNTING/FISHING LICENSE? Hunting and fishing licenses are sold in the Town Clerk's office in accordance with the NYS schedule. Stamps go on sale on August 15th, and are valid for specific seasons according to the type of stamp. All stamps expire in one year. Proof of attendance at an Education Course must be presented. CAN I RUN A BUSINESS OUT OF MY HOUSE? There are definite rules about the types of business that can be operated out of your home. In general, these rules apply if you have employees or customers coming to the house. Check with the Building Inspector for full details. Call Town Clerk Joseph Acocella (670-3031) for additions or corrections to this list. |